Leeds could potentially move up to 13th in the Premier League on Tuesday night when they face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
A 4-1 defeat to title chasers Arsenal in Leeds' last outing left the Whites 17th in the table, only ahead of Everton in the relegation zone on goal difference. Since Javi Gracia took over, Leeds have won two, drawn one and lost two in the Premier League, but they face a tough test against Nottingham Forest who are unbeaten in six against the Whites.
Just one point separates Leeds and Forest in the fight for Premier League safety, and the outcome of Tuesday's game could prove huge in the relegation battle. The two sides last met in February, where Forest won 1-0 at the City Ground thanks to Brennan Johnson's first-half strike.
READ MORE: Javi Gracia's Leeds United clues for Nottingham Forest visit overwhelmed Arsenal debrief
So, could Leeds bounce back from defeat against Arsenal when they face Forest on Tuesday? We simulated the game to try and find out
Leeds vs Nottingham Forest score predicted by simulation
To run this simulation, we used FIFA 23, updating the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that the hosts could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with the lineup looking as follows: Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Cooper, Firpo; McKennie, Roca; Summerville, Bamford, Harrison; Aaronson.
We predict that Nottingham Forest will line up in a 4-3-2-1 formation, with the lineup looking as follows: Navas; Williams, Felipe, Niakhate, Lodi; Danilo, Freuler, Mangala; Johnson, Dennis; Gibbs-White.
Despite their poor away record, Forest started the game looking the team to beat, with Steve Cooper's side dominating all aspects of the game. Leeds were struggling to get out of their own half, but against the run of play, the Whites took the lead with their second shot of the game.
After Patrick Bamford's strike was pushed wide of the goal, Leeds took the corner short to catch out the Forest defence. A well-worked passing move around the box ended at the feet of Weston McKennie, and the American fired home from inside the area to make it 1-0.
Forest could've easily been two goals ahead in the first half as Johnson caused all sorts of problems, but the striker was denied multiple times by Illan Meslier. Early in the second half, a rash challenge from Neco Williams on Emmanuel Dennis saw the visitors awarded a penalty.
Morgan Gibbs-White stepped up to take, but Meslier guessed right, diving to the left and pushing the penalty onto the bar. Johnson then met the rebound with a header, but Meslier tipped the effort over the bar, with the Frenchman single-handedly keeping Leeds in the game.
Forest continued to be wasteful in front of goal, and Leeds managed to hold on for the 1-0 win.
Full-time: Leeds 1-0 Nottingham Forest
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Leeds could claim a major three points, beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the simulation. Despite Forest causing lots of problems for Leeds in the sim, Illan Meslier was awarded player of the match after keeping a clean sheet and saving a penalty.
What do you think the score could be vs Forest? Let us know in the comments below.
READ NEXT:
Leeds United dressing room on Arsenal what ifs as Elland Road double header target made clear
Summerville grasps Leeds United chance as trio must bounce back for season's critical phase
Javi Gracia says what everyone's thinking about Leeds United, Arsenal and next week's double-header
Relegation picture latest as Leeds United lose at Arsenal and late drama elsewhere
